<p>The school our son attends neither ranks students nor weights the GPA. In fact, they don't even weight +'s and -'s. Whether a kid has a B-, a B or B+, it's a 3.0, period. My kind of math ;)</p>
<p>^^^^^Yes! And I think that kind of grading makes perfect sense!</p>
<p>There is a reason USNA looks closely at AP scores and SAT scores...it helps them get a validation for the high school grades and class ranking, which in so many cases is inflated. And it helps assess the increasing tendency of schools with 'no' grades at all. These external exams help place a candidate in terms of true ability of mastery of a subject. You might get an "A" in a chem class in high school, but if you get a 3,4 or 5 on the AP Chem test USNA knows you have a 'real' "A".</p>
<p>The 'whole person' index USNA uses, calculating all these factors seems to be a - to coin a term we all know - 'fair and balanced' way to assess a candidate.</p>
<p>I know you are serious when you say there is the increasing tendency of schools with no grades at all.</p>
<p>It boggles the mind. Well, my mind. I will caveat with it doesn't take much to boggle my mind, but that certainly does.</p>